Christmas Cheer, Even for Crime’s Other Victims

With her boyfriend in the state penitentiary since February, Sonja Valencia turned this year from a volunteer in prison ministry to a recipient of the charity.

She and her three children, and the three additional children living with her, received presents, a lunch of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, and pictures with Santa Claus at the 18th annual Society of St. Vincent de Paul Christmas party Saturday at the West Coast Anaheim Hotel.

“Before I felt for them, but now I really understand,” said Valencia, 32, whose boyfriend was helping raise the children before his parole was rescinded earlier this year.

In addition to the holiday event, the Santa Ana woman said, the “Friends Outside” branch of the St. Vincent de Paul ministry has provided clothes, counseling and bus trips to and from Wasco State Prison for her children. “If they can’t help you, they find someone else to help you.”

Organizers said Saturday’s event, which brings Christmas to children whose fathers or mothers are incarcerated, drew a record 800 children and 200 adults.

“These are the silent victims of crime,” said Joseph D. Kay, the executive director of the Orange County chapter of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, adding that children lose both a parent and the support of that parent’s paycheck.

Word of the party goes out through city and county jails and state prisons. Inmates then send invitations to their children.

“It’s something special because it comes from Dad,” Valencia said.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is an international nonprofit organization run by Catholic laity. In Orange County, the organization, known especially for helping the inmates and their families, has about 1,000 volunteers.

Highly visible at the event were firefighters, sheriff’s deputies and probation officers, who came to give the children a positive image of law enforcement and other authorities.

“They can see that we’re the good guys too,” said Deputy Ray Guerrero, who gave children tours of his patrol car outside the hotel. “We always come bearing gifts. We just need to break down that barrier a bit.”

Donna Miller, whose husband is serving three months in county jail, brought her four boys to the party.

“This is very special for us,” said the Fullerton resident. “It’s tough. I’m a single parent now, and I just feel blessed to have this. I didn’t know they had things like this.”

As the presents were passed out, Miller’s youngest son, 2-year-old Jordon, kept both hands on the box holding his toy train. And Miller’s oldest son, 13-year-old Jeffery, an eighth-grade honors student and basketball player, checked out the features of his SuperSoaker water gun.

But maybe the most satisfied member of the Miller family was his mother, who received a black purse, a scented candle and a hand-held wooden massager. She gave it a test try on her neck muscles.

“Oh yeah,” she said. “Mommy needs this.”